Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.IMPORTANT!

This is the ROBERT TEMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE. It contains descriptions and notes relating to almost 18,000 titles in the fields of British and American literature, being the bulk of the stock that has passed through our hands since 1984, with the addition of a few earlier items of especial interest. Books currently in stock are not included, and it is therefore necessary to supplement your search by looking at our Current Catalogues. For the most part full bibliographical descriptions are given, though for some earlier items, catalogued when computing space was more restricted the details given are quite brief. For an account of the conventions adopted, the abbreviations used, and reference sources consulted, please see our information pages.

Please note: The arrangement here is the same as that adopted in our current catalogues, and as there our larger files are presented in sections for ease of downloading. At the end of each section you are invited to browse the next.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

A difficult volume to find nowadays, many copies having been broken for the plates. Faxon, 1258, erroneously giving the publication date as 1834, and skipping a number (it should have been 1257). The third year of issue of this annual. The entire text appears to be by L.E.L., who also edited the volume which consists chiefly of a long poem, ‘The Zenana', illustrated by a series of seventeen Indian views, several shorter poems, and two short prose pieces.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

L[ANDON] (L[etitia] E[lizabeth]). Fisher's Drawing room Scrap book; With poetical illustrations By L.E.L. 1835. London: H. Fisher R. Fisher & P. Jackson, London, 1835 [i.e., 1834, this date appearing on the plates]. Demy 4to; binder's blank at front; half-title not called for; fine frontispiece of a scene in India, ‘engraved and printed in colours by G. Baxter, 29, King Square', with thin paper guard; fine steel-engraved vignette title, and thirty-four fine plates, all with tissue guards; 7pp. music by Henry Russell, printed from type; integral advertisement leaf with conjugate blank at end; pp.[ii]+[66]+[iv]; quarter black basil (actually just a ‘shelf-back'), spine lettered and very elaborately blocked gilt, slate-green cloth sides very elaborately embossed with phoenix rising from the flames within a floral garland and pseudo-classical architectural border, all blind; a.e.g., brown head and tail bands; end-papers glazed yellow. Almost invisible rubbing to extreme head and tail of spine, and a little scattered light foxing to backs and edges of some plates, but to all intents and purposes a perfectly fine copy of a beautiful book.

A difficult volume to find nowadays, as with all the Fisher ‘Scrap-books', many copies having been broken for the plates: but the problem is accentuated in this instance by the presence of the rare Baxter frontispiece. A complete copy, in almost perfect condition, as here, is a phenomenon seldom to be found. Faxon, 1259, erroneously giving the publication date as 1835, and skipping a number (it should have been 1258). He also gives a wrong collation. The note regarding Baxter that he appends to the 1832 volume should, moreover, be applied to this instead. The fourth year of issue of this annual. The entire text, including the words of the songs, appears to be by L.E.L. The engravings - which at their best are breath-taking - are a mixture of fine views and portraits, the latter including ones of Jane and Anna Maria Porter.

A difficult volume to find nowadays, many copies having been broken for the plates. Faxon, 1262: the more expensive of the two issues recorded, the other having only sixteen plates. The seventh year of issue of this annual. The entire text appears to be by L.E.L., who also edited the volume. The engravings are a mixture of fine views and portraits - including one of Mrs. Hemans.

Faxon, 1263, giving no collation or other details, and recording the work's existence only from an entry in the British Library Catalogue. There is no list of illustrations, the Contents serving generally in its stead, each poem by L.E.L. being provided with one plate, as also one addressed to her by Miss Jewsbury, though an additional poem at the end, by Dr. Maginn, is without a plate. This is correct as issued. A very unusual sort of binding to find in silk, and despite the slight wear to the spine, in an exceptional state of preservation. The last Annual to be edited by Miss Landon before her marriage and departure from England. She was to die, poisoned, in October 1838 - at about the time that the present volume was published. Lightly tipped into the present copy after the front binder's blank is an undated ALS from the author, c. 80 words, to an unnamed correspondent, giving instructions regarding the purchase of port wine, the collecting of a watch, etc.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

L[ANDON] (L[etitia] E[lizabeth]). Fisher's Drawing room Scrap-book. MDCCCXXXIX. With poetical illustrations by L.E.L. Fisher, Son, & Co, Newgate Street; Paris, quai de l'ecole, N.D. [1838]. Demy 4to; binder's blank at front and back; half-title not called for; steel engraved frontispiece, and dedication leaf, with tissue guard, precede the printed title-page; thirty-four fine plates, all with tissue guards; pp.[64]; full light lime green silk, ruled and very elaborately embossed blind on sides, ruled, blocked and lettered gilt on spine; a.e.g.; end-papers coated yellow; gilt binder's ticket of ‘Westley, Son, And Jarvis' on back paste-down. Slight wear to silk at extreme head and tail of spine, and some rubbing to gilt; first two plates damp-stained at upper margin; a little dusting and foxing passim, and a couple of short maginal tears; a very good copy, nonetheless.

Faxon, 1263, giving no collation or other details, and recording the work's existence only from an entry in the British Library Catalogue. There is no list of illustrations, the Contents serving generally in its stead, each poem by L.E.L. being provided with one plate, as also one addressed to her by Miss Jewsbury, though an additional poem at the end, by Dr. Maginn, is without a plate. This is correct as issued. A very unusual sort of binding to find in silk, and despite the slight wear to the spine, in a generally nice state of preservation. The last Annual to be edited by Miss Landon before her marriage and departure from England. She was to die, poisoned, in October 1838 - at about the time that the present volume was published.

A delightful binding of high quality, unfortunately unsigned. Wise and Wheeler, 22. The first collected edition of Landor's early poems, with revised texts of the two title poems, selections from the rare 1806 ‘Simonidea', and some new material. Published at the author's expense: sales were ‘very poor', with fewer than forty copies sold in the first nine months.

R.W. Chapman's copy, with his book label. Wise and Wheeler, 29. The binding, however, does not correspond with any of those described, except for the label, though the dimensions of the volume are roughly those of Wise and Wheeler's first issue, of which this is presumably, therefore, a variant. The book was published for the benefit of Grace Darling.

Wise & Wheeler, 50. Landor's penultimate book. A scarce volume, probably suppressed. This was the volume that was responsible for Landor's flight - at the age of eighty-three - from England. He was sued, for libel and for breach of an agreement, in respect of three poems: ‘To Caina', ‘The Pilfered to the Pilferer', and ‘Canidia and Caina', which appeared here respectively on pp.38, 70-1, and 168, and forced eventually, despite his efforts to place his property beyond reach, to pay £1,000.00 in damages.

Wise and Wheeler, 53: the first issue, but differing from Wise's description by having a full-stop after ‘LANDOR' on the spine - this being possibly an error of transcription on Wise's part. The volume was published in Landor's eighty-ninth year.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANDOR (Walter Savage). Heroic idyls, With additional poems. London: T. Cautley Newby, Publisher, 30, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, 1863. (The right of translation is reserved.) Post 8vo; half-title not called for; title leaf followed by dedication leaf, leaf bearing Preface, leaf of errata, and two leaves of Insertions; diagonally fine ribbed royal blue cloth, ruled blind on sides, ruled and lettered gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges mainly trimmed; end-papers coated milk chocolate. Spine dull, slightly darkened, and a trifle worn at head and tail; one or two small, neat, almost invisible restorations to cloth; slight cracking of end-papers; a little scattered foxing, and marginal embrowning of first and last few leaves; otherwise nice.

From the library of Austin Dobson, with his book label on the front paste-down, and his signature on the front free endpaper. The front paste-down bears the later bookplate of Alban Dobson. Wise and Wheeler, 53. The present copy differs in binding from all of those noted, being lettered on the spine ‘Heroic/Idyls./(short rule)/Landor.', and having no publisher's imprint. It is presumably of a late remainder issue. The volume was published in Landor's eighty-ninth year.

From the library of Austin Dobson, with the publisher's blind presentation stamp on the upper margin of the title-page, and Dobson's bookplate designed by Alfred Parsons on the front pastedown. The volume was apparently used by Dobson when preparing the selection from Lang's poems, ‘Ballads and Verses Vain', published by Charles Scribner's Sons in New York in 1884. The Contents contains a number of pencilled crosses, question marks, strikes-through, and deletion marks, together with a list of numbers running from 1 to 17, plus 19, against the presumably selected poems, together with a few pencilled notes ("Depends on setting" against a brace surrounding a whole unchosen section, "I have improved this" against one poem, "part of it" against another, and a short list of other titles). Lang's scarce first book. CBEL, III, p.747; NCBEL, 3: 1440; Miles, VIII; Green, p.241.

Printed on hand-made paper at the Chiswick Press. The author's third regularly published independent book and second volume of verse, superceded by an expanded edition the next year. CBEL, III, p.747; Miles, VIII.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANG (A.). Helen of Troy. George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden, 1882. Integral advertisement leaf followed by blank at end; pp.[viii]+196+[i]+[3]; full parchment dust-wrapper French folded over plain white paper wrappers and outer end-papers, lettered in red and black, blocked black, on front panel with a reproduction of the (black only) title page; a.e. uncut; laid end-papers not of hand-made paper and with the chain lines running vertically. Small snag in parchment of dust-wrapper spine almost invisibly repaired with tissue; otherwise a virtually fine copy. Scarce.

Author's presentation copy bearing his printed presentation slip tipped on to the front free end-paper. The recipient was Robert Louis Stevenson, whose visiting card, giving his address both as ‘Savile Club, Piccadilly' and ‘Skerryvore, Bournemouth', has been laid onto the facing end-paper by way of a bookplate. Lang first met Stevenson in 1874, when they were both convalescent, and "during the next ten years they saw much of each other, particularly in London in the late 'seventies." - Roger Lancelyn-Green, ‘Andrew Lang', p.39. Later, when he was in Samoa, Stevenson kept close epistolary contact with Lang, who on occasion supplied him with research materials. A most desirable copy of Lang's most extended and serious poetic work, linking the two close literary friends. Printed on Van Gelder hand-made paper. The first binding (later copies being in light blue buckram, lettered gilt on spine), and the advance issue, with end-papers of a machine-made thin laid paper in which the chain lines run vertically instead of horizontally as in the hand-made paper of the text. The book as published, in the first binding, had text-paper end-papers in which the chain lines ran horizontally.

One of an edition limited to only fifty numbered copies, ‘printed on large paper, with some new pieces and some omissions.' Printed on hand-made paper at the Chiswick Press, the limitation notice being signed by the printers. An expansion of the 1881 volume, including seventeen new poems. In its original state, the book was issued without end-papers.

An expansion of the 1881 volume, including seventeen new poems. Printed on hand-made paper at the Chiswick Press. Lang's name appears in full only on the spine, the title-page being headed ‘A. Lang'. This copy is of the earliest issue, and does not include Trubner's name on the spine imprint.

An expansion of the 1881 volume, including seventeen new poems. Printed on hand-made paper at the Chiswick Press. Lang's name appears in full only on the spine, the title-page being headed ‘A. Lang'. This copy is of the second issue, and includes Trubner's name on the spine imprint.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANG (Andrew). Grass of Parnassus: Rhymes old and new. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1888. Pott 8vo; half-title and title leaves followed by two tipped in leaves, the first bearing a dedicatory poem on recto, the second an authorial note, two Contents leaves, conjugate with title and half-title leaves, and a leaf bearing the title poem, bound in conjugate with a following stub, precede leaf B1; bevelled dull yellow green buckram blocked florally gilt on front cover, lettered and with rule, gilt, on spine; t.e.g., fore-edges uncut, lower-edges rough trimmed; cream end-papers. Slight scattered foxing; otherwise a very nice copy.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANG (Andrew). Grass of Parnassus: Rhymes old and new. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1888. Pott 8vo; half-title and title leaves followed by two tipped in leaves, the first bearing a dedicatory poem on recto, the second an authorial note, two Contents leaves, conjugate with title and half-title leaves, and a leaf bearing the title poem, bound in conjugate with a following stub, precede leaf B1; bevelled dull yellow green buckram blocked florally gilt on front cover, lettered and with rule, gilt, on spine; t.e.g., fore-edges uncut, lower-edges rough trimmed; cream end-papers. Virtually fine copy.

Sir J.G. Frazer's copy, with a presentation inscription to him (from a relative) on the front end-paper. Not without interest, since both Frazer and Lang wrote books on anthropology and comparative religion.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANG (Andrew). Grass of Parnassus: Rhymes old and new. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1888. Pott 8vo; half-title and title leaves followed by two tipped in leaves, the first bearing a dedicatory poem on recto, the second an authorial note, two Contents leaves, conjugate with title and half-title leaves, and a leaf bearing the title poem, bound in conjugate with a following stub, precede leaf B1; bevelled dull yellow green buckram blocked florally gilt on front cover, lettered and with rule, gilt, on spine; t.e.g., fore-edges uncut, lower-edges rough trimmed; cream end-papers. Spine dull, front cover marked, otherwise a very nice copy.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANG (Andrew). Ban and Arriere Ban: A rally of fugitive rhymes. Longmans, Green & Co., 1894. F'cap 8vo; wood-engraved frontispiece after H.J. Ford, on text-paper and included in the pagination; final blank; pp.xiv+118+[ii]; Erratum slip (inviting the reader to add a fourteenth line to the sonnet on p.44!) tipped in before first page of text; bevelled olive buckram, lettered gilt on front cover, lettered and with short rule gilt on spine; t.e.g., others uncut. Spine very slightly dull, but a nice copy.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LANGBRIDGE (Frederick, M.A.). Sent back by the angels; And other ballads Of home and homely life. Published for the author By Cassell & Company, Limited: London, Paris, New York & Melbourne, 1885. Cancel title leaf; pp.[xii]+126; 8+8pp. inserted Cassell advertisements at end coded ‘5.G 10.86' and ‘5 B. 10.86'; dark blue buckram, ruled and lettered gilt on spine. Nice copy.

Originally published in Leeds by J.S. Fletcher & Co. in the same year, the present copy, with an 1885 cancel title-page bearing the imprint of Cassell & Co. and advertisements dating from October 1886 is probably of at least the third issue. The book eventually sold quite well: four editions had appeared by 1898. The covers in this copy bear no publisher's imprint. The Preface is dated from St. John's Rectory, Limerick, February 20, 1885. Reilly, p.268.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LATHAM (Francis Law, Brasenose College). The discovery of the north west Passage. A prize poem, Recited in the theatre, Oxford, June 16th, 1858. Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1858. F'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; advertisement leaf at end; pp.22. Disbound; very light foxing of title; otherwise a fine copy.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEAR (Edward). Nonsense songs, stories, botany, And alphabets. Robert John Bush, 32, Charing Cross, S.W., 1871. F'cap 4to; half-title; fly-title to each section; numerous illustrations on text paper; 93ll., unpaginated, the Botany and Alphabets leaves printed on one side of the paper only; quarter chocolate sand grain cloth, ruled and blocked on, lettered up, spine, gilt, white boards, the front board printed with an elaborate frame in black and reddish brown within a thin/thick black ruled border, enclosing a central oval outlined in black and reddish brown, divided horizontally, the lower half white, the upper half printed yellow, and lettered with title in black in top half, the author in black outlined reddish-brown, and publisher's name and address in black, in lower half; the back board printed in black with advertisements for ‘Journal of a landscape Painter in Corsica' (of which "A small number only . . . remain for sale"), "In the press . . . a Second Series of The book of nonsense", and "an entirely new Nonsense alphabet. Further particulars shortly."; end-papers coated yellow. Recased (v. note); neat restorations to head and tail of spine; corners badly worn; paper covering of front board insignificantly chipped and a little dusty, that of back board dusty, and somewhat more chipped, but with little damage to printed area; a little scattered dusting internally, but in general nice.

Rare in the publisher's boards. Issued originally trimmed at the inner margins and caoutchouc bound, a method of binding not calculated to survive either many years or much rough usage, since the rubber had a tendency after a while to dry out and perish. Most copies seen today have been rebound, often at an early date, and generally in leather or in cloth. The present copy has, exceptionally, at some point been very neatly sewn round and re-inserted into the original casing, retaining, apparently, both the original end-papers and muslin. The volume in which ‘The Owl and the Pussycat'; ‘The Duck and the Kangaroo'; ‘The Jumblies'; ‘Calico Pie', etc., first appeared.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEAR (Edward). Nonsense songs, stories, botany, And alphabets. Robert John Bush, 32, Charing Cross, S.W., 1871. 4to; half-title; numerous illustrations on text paper. Disbound, but sewing sound; two leaves frayed and repaired; some leaves washed; lacking the letter ‘O' of the second alphabet; otherwise a very good copy. As a binding or working copy.

Includes ‘The Owl and the Pussycat'; ‘The Duck and the Kangaroo'; ‘The Jumblies'; ‘Calico Pie', etc.

First edition thus. Here first published are the Second Part of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos'; the Cannes ‘Eclogue'; ‘Incidents in the Life of My Uncle Arly'; the ‘Heraldic Blazon of Foss the Cat'; a lengthy autobiographical letter; and the poem ‘How pleasant to know Mr. Lear'. Included also is a facsimile reproduction of the ms. of ‘The Duck and the Kangaroo' with Lear's drawings. Avowedly the ninth edition, a fact mentioned in the publisher's Note detailing the new material. Strachey's Introduction, which is dated ‘September 1894', occupies pp.[v] - xii. The book was issued in November 1894, for the Christmas market of that year and, as was the custom at the time, dated ahead.

One of a total edition limited to 800 copies for distribution in England and America. Loosely laid in to this copy is an A.L.S., 2pp. dated from Chiddingfold House, Chiddingfold, Dec.28, '99, to a Mr. Evans, referring to the author's financial difficulties and to a cheque that"may have been returned", suggesting a meeting, and thanking him for his appreciation of "my Grant Allen". CBEL, III, p.552; Miles, VIII.

The poems are reprinted (with corrections) from the rare privately printed edition of 1834; the essay here makes its first appearance in book form. Le Gallienne's Introduction occupies pp.xiii-[xxxix].

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LE GALLIENNE (Richard). Robert Louis Stevenson: An elegy; And other poems mainly personal. London John Lane, 1895; Boston, Copeland & Day. Tipped in etched title-page by D.Y. Cameron; half-title and other prelims. not present in this copy, and apparently not called for; pp.99 (not including title leaf)+[i (printer's imprint)]; publisher's inserted 16pp. catalogue at end, dated 1895, listing this title as ‘In preparation'; vertically ribbed purple cloth, lettered gilt on spine; a.e. uncut. Slight darkening of spine, and slight mottling of covers; otherwise a fine copy.

Loosely laid into this copy are a slip cut from a newspaper bearing a lengthy poem by Le Gallienne, with two ms. corrections, an errata slip clipped from the next day's paper, referring to the poem, and a leaf from ‘The Bookman', June 1895, including a review of this volume, signed ‘A.M.'. The front paste-down bears an engraved armorial bookplate (unidentified). A curious copy, which has clearly suffered no loss, but has been made up without the four leaf preliminary gathering containing the initial blank, half-title, dedication and contents leaves present in every other copy we have seen. We believe it to have been a pre-production copy, bound up before the prelims. had been printed, and possibly rushed out for an early review. A scarce title. CBEL, III, p.552; Miles, VIII.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEIGH (Henry S.). Carols of cockayne. With numerous illustrations by Alfred Concanen And the late John Leech. John Camden Hotten, 1869. Imp.16mo in half sheets; blank before half-title; vignette on title; numerous illustrations in the text; 8pp. integral advertisements at end; pp.[2]+[xiv]+[9]-[208]+8; bevelled yellow-green buckram, blocked and lettered gilt on front cover, lettered gilt up spine; a.e.g.; end-papers coated milk chocolate. Slight wear to head and tail of spine; slight flexion crease in back board resulting in hairline crack in back paste-down; insignificant foxing of prelims. and advertisement leaves; otherwise, and in general, a nice copy.

Delightful comic verse. CBEL, III, p.346. The author's first book. According to the advertisements at the end, issued as no.1 in Hotten's ‘New Series of Illustrated Works of Humour'.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEIGH (Henry S.). A Town garland, A collection of lyrics. By Henry S. Leigh, Author of "Carols of Cockayne." etc. London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1878. (The right of Translation is reserved.) pp.xii+219+[i (blank)]; publisher's inserted 36pp. catalogue at end, dated March, 1878; diagonally very-fine-ribbed greyish brown cloth, very elaborately blocked gilt on front cover, blind on back cover (with the same design), elaborately blocked, and lettered, gilt, on spine; light grey-green end-papers printed with a flower-and-leaf pattern in grey-green; binder's ticket of Leighton, Son & Hodge (Ball, 53E, but 5mm smaller). Minute chip to cloth at centre of back joint (6 x 3mm, apparently due to an over-heavy impression of the brass) with associated crack to cloth, but no weakness; half-title and last two leaves of advertisements foxed or embrowned by contact with the end-papers; otherwise a fine copy of a scarce title.

The first issue, with the earliest advertisements. Copies are also known with advertisements dated April, 1880, and with the lines of the cover design slightly thicker, the brass having evidently become a little worn. Tipped-on to the front end-paper is a holograph letter, signed, to an unnamed correspondent, giving the London address of Frederick Locker to whom the book is dedicated, and referring to Leigh's earlier volume ‘Gillot and Goosequill' [British and Colonial Publishing Co., 1871], saying that he thinks it is out of print: "The publisher bolted one fine morning, and the stock of copies were bought by Stevens of Booksellers Row." The pastedown bears the bookplate of the bibliographer and notable collector, Percival Hinton. The superb cover design, which is not noticed by Ball, may be by Philip Webb, whose reversed initials ‘W.P.' appear in this copy as an abstract from the design revealed by the absence of gilt in two places, beside and beneath, the last complete flower in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover. In other copies we have seen, however, this has not been the case, the gilt blocking being complete and virtually reproducing that of the preceding panel. It is unlikely that the discovery of the WP in the present copy is simply a blocking fault, the design being broken in two places, separated by nearly half an inch - these being the exact points necessary to reveal the letters. It would be interesting to know who Leigh's correspondent was! Could it have been the designer of the covers? Miles, IX, pp.455-68.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEIGH (Henry S.). A Town garland, A collection of lyrics. By Henry S. Leigh, Author of "Carols of Cockayne." etc. London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1878. (The right of Translation is reserved.) pp.xii+219+[i (blank)]; publisher's inserted 36pp. catalogue at end, dated March, 1878; diagonally very-fine-ribbed greyish brown cloth, very elaborately blocked gilt on front cover, blind on back cover (with the same design), elaborately blocked, and lettered, gilt, on spine; light grey-green end-papers printed with a flower-and-leaf pattern in grey-green; binder's ticket of Leighton, Son & Hodge (Ball, 53F, but 1mm larger and on white rather than fawn paper). Unobtrusive blind ownership stamp (‘Scarsdale House') at top of one leaf; half-title foxed and embrowned by contact with the end-papers; otherwise a fine copy of a scarce title.

The first issue, with the earliest advertisements. Copies are also known with advertisements dated April, 1880, and with the lines of the cover design slightly thicker, the brass having evidently become a little worn. The superb cover design, which is not noticed by Ball, may be by Philip Webb, whose reversed initials ‘W.P.' appeared on another copy seen as an abstract from the design revealed by the absence of gilt in two places, beside and beneath, the last complete flower in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover. In other copies we have seen, however, including the present one, this has not been the case, the gilt blocking being complete and virtually reproducing that of the preceding panel. Miles, IX, pp.455-68.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEIGH (Henry S.). A Town garland, A collection of lyrics. By Henry S. Leigh, Author of "Carols of Cockayne." etc. London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1878. (The right of Translation is reserved.) pp.xii+219+[i (blank)]; publisher's inserted 32pp. catalogue at end, dated April, 1880; diagonally very-fine-ribbed greyish brown cloth, very elaborately blocked gilt on front cover, blind on back cover (with the same design), elaborately blocked, and lettered, gilt, on spine; light grey-green end-papers printed with a flower-and-leaf pattern in grey-green. Very slight wear to cloth at head and tail of spine; end-papers a little embrowned, with offsetting onto half-title and final page of the advertisements, and minute chip to fore-edge of front end-paper (2 x 3mm); old ownership inscription at head of title-page; otherwise a fine copy of a scarce title.

Later issue, the first having advertisements dated March, 1878. The superb cover design, which is not noticed by Ball, may be by Philip Webb, whose reversed initials ‘W.P.' were apparent in one copy seen of the first issue as an abstract from the design revealed by the absence of gilt in two places, beside and beneath, the last complete flower in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover. Miles, IX, pp.455-68.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LEMON (Mark). Duncombe's Edition. Arnold of Winkelried: Or, The fight of Sempach! A drama, In Five Acts. By Mark Lemon, Author of The P.L. [sic] The Grey Doublet, Self Accusation, Etc. etc. The only edition correctly marked, by permission, From the prompter's book; To which is added, A description of the costume - cast of the characters - The whole of the stage business Situations - entrances - exits - properties and Directions. As performed at the London Theatres. Embellished with a fine engraving, By Mr, [sic] Findlay, from a Drawing, taken expressly in the Theatre. London: Printed and published by J. Duncombe & Co, 10, Middle Row, Holborn, N.D. [c.1836]. Sm.12mo; plate almost certainly a wood-engraving on text-paper, but not here present; pp.[3]-49+[i (blank)]; issued in wrappers, not here present; otherwise a nice copy.

First produced at the Royal Surrey Theatre, July, 1836. This title not among the CBEL listings of Lemon's plays.

Presentation copy, with the translator's holograph inscription on the upper margin of the title-page. Written between 1829 and 1834, and first published in St. Petersburg in 1838, this is the first appearance of the poem in English.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LESSING (G[otthold].E[phraim].). Three comedies, Translated from the German Of "G.E. Lessing." By the Rev. J.J. Holroyd, A.M., Rector of Abberton, Essex. Colchester [Essex]: Printed and published by W. Totham, North Hill, 1838. Narrow f'cap 8vo; four leaf List of Subscribers, leaf of Additional Subscribers (not included in the pagination), and addendum slip bearing two names, precede first leaf of Preface; blank at end; pp.[4]+viii+[2]+[ix]-xx+281+[iii]; dark green diagonal ripple grain cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, blocked and lettered gilt on spine; a.e. uncut; end-papers coated deep yellow. Faint mark on corner of back cover; otherwise a fine copy. Scarce.

Includes ‘The Freethinker', ‘The Treasure', and ‘Minna von Barnhelm': second English translation of the last play (which was first translated in 1805 by T. Holcroft); apparently the first English translation of the other two. V. CBEL, III, p.33. Eight hundred and fifty-eight copies were subscribed for.

The foot of the title-page bears the ms. addition, possibly in the author's hand: ‘Published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. London'. This probably refers to the inclusion of the poem in one of the collections of Lady Lindsay's verse published by that firm between 1890 and 1905. We do not believe that the present volume was so issued: it has the air of being a Christmas ‘card', privately printed for the author, and presumably in a very small edition.

One of an issue of only fifty copies out of a total printing of 120, fifty copies being issued under the title ‘Locker's Poems' with the addition of a portrait, and twenty on large paper. Printed by Whittingham and Wilkins at the Chiswick Press. Miles, V, pp.49-65; CBEL, III, p.295: first published in 1857, and reprinted in 1862 with alterations, omissions, and the addition of twenty new poems. The present edition, which again omits some poems, adds six new ones. Vers de societe par excellence, the contemporary reputation of Locker's ‘Lyrics' is evidenced by the fact that they were chosen for issue, after selections only from the poems of Tennyson and Browning, as the third volume in the series ‘Moxon's Miniature Poets'. Austin Dobson, writing of Locker in 1892, says of him: "It is always a poet who speaks, - a poet of singular urbanity, refinement, restraint, - a poet with a distinctive and personal note, with an exceptional power of direct and lucid expression, with a wit which is never bitter, and with a humour which is not the less seductive because it has a tinge of sadness." The nature of Locker's poetry is perhaps summed up in his lines: "If life an empty bubble be, / How sad are those who will not see / A rainbow in the bubble."

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LOCKER[-LAMPSON] (Frederick). London lyrics. No publisher, 1881. Med.8vo; leaf bearing signature ‘A', in purple, but otherwise blank precedes half-title; proof of frontispiece by Randolph Caldecott, in first state, printed on India paper and laid on to inserted leaf, faces published state of frontispiece, on plate paper, these separated by bound-in thin paper guard; title-page printed in purple and black; introductory verse, signed ‘A. D.', printed in purple on recto of leaf A4; proof of tail-piece by Kate Greenaway, printed on India paper and laid on to inserted leaf, with bound-in thin paper guard, follows last poem, this in turn being followed by 6pp. author's Notes, and final blank; original full parchment, ruled gilt on sides and spine, lettered gilt on spine; binder's ticket of Burn & Co on back paste-down; a.e. uncut. One corner slightly grazed on edge; otherwise an extremely fine unopened copy.

Thomson, Kate Greenaway, 123. Murray, Bibliography of Austin Dobson, p.103: ‘Mr. Austin Dobson made the selection for this . . . edition, and prefixed the lines commencing, "Apollo made, one April day," signed A.D. These lines have not been reprinted'. Privately printed at the Chiswick Press, this edition is not listed in New CBEL, which records, however, editions of 1857, 1862, 1868, 1870, 1872, 1874, 1876, and 1882, all with substantial additions, and some omissions. The present example would appear to follow the rule. The volume was intended for issue in two forms: on ordinary paper, without illustrations; and on large Dickinson hand-made paper, with an added frontispiece and tail-piece, on plate-paper. When proofs of the frontispiece had been pulled, however, both the author and Austin Dobson objected to the feather in the girl's hat as drawn originally by Caldecott, and the plate was immediately altered to remove it. A few copies of the large paper edition were then made up in which were incorporated the India paper proof pulls of the tailpiece and of the original frontispiece, as well as a regular print of the frontispiece, in second state, on plate paper. The present copy belongs to this very rare ‘Private Issue'. Of the edition on large hand-made paper it is said that fewer than fifty copies were printed, and only a handful of these were made up with the frontispiece present in both states. It is noteworthy that the copy presented by Locker to Caldecott, though having the illustrations on proof paper, was not such a copy - Caldecott's preference presumably being known!

Avowedly, the twelfth English edition. Printed on hand-made paper at the Chiswick Press. This copy, from the publisher's files, bears a paper label on the spine on which has been written in black ink: ‘Edition / Of / 1893 / Revises'. The front end-paper bears an initialled holograph note by Locker: "Dear Sir / An acquaintance has / looked over these pages / & has marked what seems / faulty. Will you kindly / see that they are altered." The alterations and corrections referred to, mostly likewise in pencil, affect some forty-two leaves, one or two of which also bear pencilled notes in the hand of a publisher's editor. In addition, at p.27, a printed slip substitutes a new stanza for a cancelled one, and pp.49-52 have been excised, presumably to cancel their contents. Between pp.100 and 101 is tipped in a folded leaf bearing, in ink, in an unidentified hand, a translation into Latin of the poem ‘The Cuckoo', which appears on the latter page. This translation, which is signed ‘G D', is dated ‘4/9/92' - which suggests that it was tipped into the book when it was still in Locker's possession. It is marked on the back, in pencil: ‘Not to be printed'.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LONGFELLOW (Henry W.). Voices of the night, And Other poems. By Henry W. Longfellow, Author of "Hyperion." London: H.G. Clarke and Co., 66, Old Bailey, 1844. Cr.16mo in half sheets; illuminated title-page printed in red, green, blue, and gold precedes letterpress title-page; letterpress title-page with author's name given not in type but as a facsimile of his signature; 4pp. integral advertisements at end; white glazed boards printed with arabesque design in red, blue, gold and green on sides, up-lettered red on spine on gold panel outlined in green; a.e.g.; end-papers coated yellow. Covers darkened and design on front board a little defective (apparently an original printing fault); otherwise a nice copy. Very scarce.

Clarke published the first English edition of ‘Voices of the Night' in December 1843, in illuminated wrappers, as volume one of ‘Clarke's English Helicon, American Series' (Blanck, 12286), reprinting it in the same form in 1844 (Blanck, 12298). The present copy, which would appear to represent the first hard-cover issue, is not listed by Blanck. The illuminated title-page is sewn in not tipped in, and is conjugate to a stub pasted on to the end-paper. We speculate that this leaf is a recycled front wrapper of the English Helicon issue, the stub representing the original back wrapper, here redundant, and hence excised. It may well also have included a series advertisement not here apposite. This is the first example of the hard-cover edition that we can recollect ever having seen.

Blanck 12103; the first printing; and Blank's ‘A' setting, with p.145 misnumbered 541. Setting ‘B' of signature T* (no precedence); Issued simultaneously with the first American edition, from which, however, it differs in text.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LONGFELLOW (Henry Wadsworth). The Song of Hiawatha. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1855. F'cap 8vo; binder's blank at front and back; half-title not called for; diagonally fine ribbed brown cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled blind, lettered and with short rule gilt on spine; pale yellow end-papers. Cloth slightly worn at corners, and at head and tail of spine; otherwise a very nice copy.

Blanck, 12112. First American edition, third state (printing) throughout. Three printings were made in quick succession, distinguished by minor alterations in the text. The sheets were not kept separate, and copies are known in mixed state. The text of the earlier English edition was different again. Lightly tipped onto the front blank of this copy is a sheet of paper bearing a ms. transcription of a contemporary review extracted from the ‘Christian Intelligencer' - in the form of a parody in verse.

Blanck 12135, agreeing with Blanck's fourth listed variant of text (no precedence suggested, although the text as given here agrees with that of the second English edition). Precedes the first American edition.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File H: Nineteenth Century Poetry & Drama. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LONGFELLOW (Henry Wadsworth). Flower-de-luce. London: George Routledge and Sons, The Broadway, Ludgate, 1867 [i.e., early November, 1866]. Demy 16mo in half-sheets; 4pp. Charles Griffin and Co. advertisements on smaller paper bound in at end; pp.63+[i (blank); puce horizontal wavy-grain cloth, very elaborately blocked, and lettered, gilt, on front cover, very elaborately blocked blind on back cover; thin end-papers coated pale yellow. Lower corners of covers insignificantly affected by damp, but with loss of portions of the gilt frame on the front cover; a few leaves lightly foxed, and crease in one leaf due to an original paper fault (i.e., it has very slightly affected the impression of the two pages); otherwise, and in general effect, a nice copy. Rare, especially in cloth (v. note).

Blanck, 12143: precedes the far commoner American edition, having been published in the first half of November 1866, whilst the American edition appeared in the latter half. Blanck does not record this issue in cloth, however, but only the cheaper issue in blue paper wrappers printed in black, which was presumably simultaneous with it.

In this copy the title on the spine is in a Roman face, with serifs, and the author's name in an Italic face, also with serifs; the title-page is set in a large face, the title reading, in two lines: THE NEW ENGLAND/TRAGEDIES. Blanck 12150, noting no variants in the spine blocking, though recording copies in blue or in green cloth; Blanck's ‘A' setting of the text. Issued simultaneously with the first American public edition, but differing textually from both the American editions.

In this copy the title on the spine is in an Italic face, without serifs, and the author's name in a Roman face, with serifs; the title-page is set in a small face, the title reading, in two lines: THE/NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDIES. Blanck 12150, noting no variants in the spine blocking, and recording only copies in blue or in green cloth, and with brown coated end-papers; Blanck's ‘B' setting of the text, although no precedence established. Issued simultaneously with the first American public edition, but differing textually from both the American editions.

In this copy the title on the spine is in a Roman face, with serifs, and the author's name in an Italic face, with serifs; on the title-page the title reads, in two lines: THE/NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDIES, the second line extending for 88mm in a face 4mm high. Blanck 12150, noting no variants in the spine blocking, and recording only copies in blue or in green cloth; Blanck's ‘B' setting of the text, although no precedence established. Issued simultaneously with the first American public edition, but differing textually from both the American editions.

Blanck, 12548. Issued in the ‘Golden Treasury Series'. The tipped-in series advertisements in the present copy list this title as the latest published, but include a brief quotation from a review. It may therefore be of an early but secondary issue (though advance copies only may constitute the first issue). Includes poems and translations by Longfellow here first published in England.

Except for the words SECOND EDITION on title-page and wrapper, identical with the first printing of the same year, and like that containing the unrevised text. Blanck, 12222, recording the first edition as preceding the American edition, but not noticing this reprint.